[RBW] Re: Child seat
How old is he? My four year old rides this: http://www.flickr.com/photos/daytondogg/8518339787/ -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups RBW Owners Bunch group. To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to rbw-owners-bunch+unsubscr...@googlegroups.com. To post to this group, send email to rbw-owners-bunch@googlegroups.com. Visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/rbw-owners-bunch. For more options, visit https://groups.google.com/groups/opt_out.
[RBW] Re: Child seat
He will be 3 in Oct. He might be ready for a tag along next year. How hard is it to move one of those between bikes? He lives 40 miles away and his parents have limited stooge space. I wonder if my daughter and I could share one? My son, in El Cerrito, has a one year old daughter and he believes she is ready for a rear seat. It seems too early to me, but I hesitate to interfere. I looked at the Copilot at a LBS yesterday. It looked pretty good for $100. BTW, my grandson, Simon, and I went for a us ride yesterday down to the lake and spent the morning looking at boats ( bodes), yachts, and ducks. A great time. Michael On Wednesday, July 31, 2013 2:49:14 AM UTC-4, LeahFoy wrote: How old is he? My four year old rides this: http://www.flickr.com/photos/daytondogg/8518339787/ -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups RBW Owners Bunch group. To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to rbw-owners-bunch+unsubscr...@googlegroups.com. To post to this group, send email to rbw-owners-bunch@googlegroups.com. Visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/rbw-owners-bunch. For more options, visit https://groups.google.com/groups/opt_out.
Re: [RBW] Re: Child seat
Most tag a longs mount to the seat post, so they aren't too hard to take on and off (the Burly Picolo has a dedicated rear rack). When I used a seat post style, I just had a dedicated seatpost/saddle combo hooked all the time to the trail a bike, so I just swapped posts to get going. I put my first born in a trailer at about 11 months, but even then he couldn't really support the helmet weight--just kind of slumped over. I think a year is pretty early for a bike mounted seat. Eric On Wed, Jul 31, 2013 at 6:15 AM, Michael Hechmer mhech...@gmail.com wrote: He will be 3 in Oct. He might be ready for a tag along next year. How hard is it to move one of those between bikes? He lives 40 miles away and his parents have limited stooge space. I wonder if my daughter and I could share one? My son, in El Cerrito, has a one year old daughter and he believes she is ready for a rear seat. It seems too early to me, but I hesitate to interfere. I looked at the Copilot at a LBS yesterday. It looked pretty good for $100. BTW, my grandson, Simon, and I went for a us ride yesterday down to the lake and spent the morning looking at boats ( bodes), yachts, and ducks. A great time. Michael On Wednesday, July 31, 2013 2:49:14 AM UTC-4, LeahFoy wrote: How old is he? My four year old rides this: http://www.flickr.com/photos/ **daytondogg/8518339787/http://www.flickr.com/photos/daytondogg/8518339787/ -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups RBW Owners Bunch group. To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to rbw-owners-bunch+unsubscr...@googlegroups.com. To post to this group, send email to rbw-owners-bunch@googlegroups.com. Visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/rbw-owners-bunch. For more options, visit https://groups.google.com/groups/opt_out. -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups RBW Owners Bunch group. To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to rbw-owners-bunch+unsubscr...@googlegroups.com. To post to this group, send email to rbw-owners-bunch@googlegroups.com. Visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/rbw-owners-bunch. For more options, visit https://groups.google.com/groups/opt_out.
[RBW] Re: Child seat
Hi Michael, I'll second Eric on the front-mount seats. We love the Bobike Mini+http://www.longleafbicycles.com/products/cycling-with-children/bobike-child-seats/bobike-mini/. Longleaf Bicycles also sells the rear-mount Bobike Maxi+, although we have no experience with it. -Jay B On Tuesday, July 30, 2013 4:08:55 AM UTC-4, Michael Hechmer wrote: Somewhat OT, but a post to the Lifestyles list got only one response. My grandson is now old enough to ride behind his mom, and really loves it, so I am thinking about getting a seat and putting it on my Trek 620. Any advice about models and use would be much appreciated. Michael -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups RBW Owners Bunch group. To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to rbw-owners-bunch+unsubscr...@googlegroups.com. To post to this group, send email to rbw-owners-bunch@googlegroups.com. Visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/rbw-owners-bunch. For more options, visit https://groups.google.com/groups/opt_out.
[RBW] Re: Child seat
I use a burley trailer. I find it easier to get the kids in and out of because it stays balanced no matter what. It really is not too noticeable in your riding and it is just a small bracket that stays on your bike when you are not using it. Plus if you add a grandkid you have room for a second child. On Tuesday, July 30, 2013 4:08:55 AM UTC-4, Michael Hechmer wrote: Somewhat OT, but a post to the Lifestyles list got only one response. My grandson is now old enough to ride behind his mom, and really loves it, so I am thinking about getting a seat and putting it on my Trek 620. Any advice about models and use would be much appreciated. Michael -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups RBW Owners Bunch group. To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to rbw-owners-bunch+unsubscr...@googlegroups.com. To post to this group, send email to rbw-owners-bunch@googlegroups.com. Visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/rbw-owners-bunch. For more options, visit https://groups.google.com/groups/opt_out.
[RBW] Re: Child seat
+1 for a front seat like iBert until they are big enough to hold on in the back (around 3), then no official seat is needed, but a wood platform on the rear rack works great with stoker bars. Easy way to carry two on one bike that way. With abandon, Patrick On Tuesday, July 30, 2013 2:08:55 AM UTC-6, Michael Hechmer wrote: Somewhat OT, but a post to the Lifestyles list got only one response. My grandson is now old enough to ride behind his mom, and really loves it, so I am thinking about getting a seat and putting it on my Trek 620. Any advice about models and use would be much appreciated. Michael -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups RBW Owners Bunch group. To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to rbw-owners-bunch+unsubscr...@googlegroups.com. To post to this group, send email to rbw-owners-bunch@googlegroups.com. Visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/rbw-owners-bunch. For more options, visit https://groups.google.com/groups/opt_out.
[RBW] Re: Child seat
I've used rear seats, which work well, even when the children fall asleep as both of my children have often done. Trailers are fine, but I've preferred having the children up high where they can see what I see as well as talk more easily. I've got a nearly 5 yr old (who rides his own bike around the neighborhood) a 2.5 yr old (who rides her balance bike around the neighborhood). I purchased a Yuba Mundo last winter; both my wife I use it much more often than a bike trailer to get groceries or go any distance w/ the kids. I recommend finding a used Co-Pilot or similar if you'd rather keep them on back, they can last 3+ yrs depending on size of the child. These fit on a blackburn rack, which you can keep on the bike even when not riding with the grandson. I got ours used for $25 w/ rack and have now had it for 4 yrs on various bikes. Best, Eric N. Indpls On Tuesday, July 30, 2013 9:40:23 AM UTC-4, Deacon Patrick wrote: +1 for a front seat like iBert until they are big enough to hold on in the back (around 3), then no official seat is needed, but a wood platform on the rear rack works great with stoker bars. Easy way to carry two on one bike that way. With abandon, Patrick On Tuesday, July 30, 2013 2:08:55 AM UTC-6, Michael Hechmer wrote: Somewhat OT, but a post to the Lifestyles list got only one response. My grandson is now old enough to ride behind his mom, and really loves it, so I am thinking about getting a seat and putting it on my Trek 620. Any advice about models and use would be much appreciated. Michael -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups RBW Owners Bunch group. To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to rbw-owners-bunch+unsubscr...@googlegroups.com. To post to this group, send email to rbw-owners-bunch@googlegroups.com. Visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/rbw-owners-bunch. For more options, visit https://groups.google.com/groups/opt_out.
Re: [RBW] Re: Child seat
I have had the co-pilot as well and it was very secure and was pretty simple to move from bike to bike if you have a bit of mechanical knowledge. My LBS steered us away from the seat in front due to control issues. I think it depends where you ride too though, here in Brooklyn I cant have my daughter on a piece of wood and stoker bars, sometimes we need to dart out and stop short due to traffic and would hate for her a kid to not be secured on the bike at a younger age. My daughter uses the Burley Piccolo now, she doesn't really feel comfortable riding on her own on Brooklyn streets, unlike a lot of parents I have nothing to prove about what an advanced rider she is, we just go out for fun. On Tue, Jul 30, 2013 at 10:50 AM, EGNolan egno...@gmail.com wrote: I've used rear seats, which work well, even when the children fall asleep as both of my children have often done. Trailers are fine, but I've preferred having the children up high where they can see what I see as well as talk more easily. I've got a nearly 5 yr old (who rides his own bike around the neighborhood) a 2.5 yr old (who rides her balance bike around the neighborhood). I purchased a Yuba Mundo last winter; both my wife I use it much more often than a bike trailer to get groceries or go any distance w/ the kids. I recommend finding a used Co-Pilot or similar if you'd rather keep them on back, they can last 3+ yrs depending on size of the child. These fit on a blackburn rack, which you can keep on the bike even when not riding with the grandson. I got ours used for $25 w/ rack and have now had it for 4 yrs on various bikes. Best, Eric N. Indpls On Tuesday, July 30, 2013 9:40:23 AM UTC-4, Deacon Patrick wrote: +1 for a front seat like iBert until they are big enough to hold on in the back (around 3), then no official seat is needed, but a wood platform on the rear rack works great with stoker bars. Easy way to carry two on one bike that way. With abandon, Patrick On Tuesday, July 30, 2013 2:08:55 AM UTC-6, Michael Hechmer wrote: Somewhat OT, but a post to the Lifestyles list got only one response. My grandson is now old enough to ride behind his mom, and really loves it, so I am thinking about getting a seat and putting it on my Trek 620. Any advice about models and use would be much appreciated. Michael -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups RBW Owners Bunch group. To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to rbw-owners-bunch+unsubscr...@googlegroups.com. To post to this group, send email to rbw-owners-bunch@googlegroups.com. Visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/rbw-owners-bunch. For more options, visit https://groups.google.com/groups/opt_out. -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups RBW Owners Bunch group. To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to rbw-owners-bunch+unsubscr...@googlegroups.com. To post to this group, send email to rbw-owners-bunch@googlegroups.com. Visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/rbw-owners-bunch. For more options, visit https://groups.google.com/groups/opt_out.
[RBW] Re: Child seat
I use a Yepp Mini front seat on my 60 Sam with Alba bars. I was surprised how little room - as in none - I have between the nose of the saddle and the back of the seat. I'm not slim, mind you, but I'm not that fat and I cannot fit between the saddle and seat to straddle the top tube. I had to drop my saddle way down so I can support the bike when we stop. Even given that challenge, I like the front seat for interaction, and it works fine for our short rides around the neighborhood. If you are thinking of more intensive trips it might be a good idea to teat a front seat first to see if you have fit issues. -Pete in CT On Tuesday, July 30, 2013 4:08:55 AM UTC-4, Michael Hechmer wrote: Somewhat OT, but a post to the Lifestyles list got only one response. My grandson is now old enough to ride behind his mom, and really loves it, so I am thinking about getting a seat and putting it on my Trek 620. Any advice about models and use would be much appreciated. Michael -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups RBW Owners Bunch group. To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to rbw-owners-bunch+unsubscr...@googlegroups.com. To post to this group, send email to rbw-owners-bunch@googlegroups.com. Visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/rbw-owners-bunch. For more options, visit https://groups.google.com/groups/opt_out.
[RBW] Re: Child seat
My two kids both did great in a Burley Solo (which is now for sale, shameless bump). I only used it for short bops around town, no heavily urban traffic kind of stuff. We still had conversations, but usually my kids would just nap in there if it was over 5 minutes. On Tuesday, July 30, 2013 1:08:55 AM UTC-7, Michael Hechmer wrote: Somewhat OT, but a post to the Lifestyles list got only one response. My grandson is now old enough to ride behind his mom, and really loves it, so I am thinking about getting a seat and putting it on my Trek 620. Any advice about models and use would be much appreciated. Michael -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups RBW Owners Bunch group. To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to rbw-owners-bunch+unsubscr...@googlegroups.com. To post to this group, send email to rbw-owners-bunch@googlegroups.com. Visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/rbw-owners-bunch. For more options, visit https://groups.google.com/groups/opt_out.
[RBW] Re: Child seat
I have and use a Yepp Mini Front seat. My 3-yo son is just about at the weight limit, and my 1-yo daughter is now getting her turn at the h-bars. I ride the Yepp Mini on a 52cm Surly Cross Check with albatross bars (there's a special adapter for threadless stems) and Medium Breezer Uptown 8 (step through). I have room on my bikes for the Yepp-- the child seat is pretty much in my lap. I do have to splay my knees at the top of my pedal stroke in order to clear the bottom of the seat. I can be a little challenging at low speeds to steer (when one relies more on turning the bars than leaning the bike). I don't think the Yepp Mini would work well with drop bars (even with cross levers), and even flat bars would be difficult for me. I would recommend the front seat for fairly flat areas. It's a great way to socialize with a child while riding and pointing out the scenery. It also allows you to see what your child is doing (e.g., sleeping, pulling on his/her helmet b/c it's bothering them, etc.). I've also used it for dropping my son at daycare. I also have a Burley D'Lite trailer. It's convenient and spacious. For carrying two, it's my only way unless I get a cargo bike (but I'd rather get an AHH!). It's fine, but communicating with the children in the trailer is not easy. Although it doesn't affect the balance of the bike, there is a definite impact on handling. First is the weight (tough on brakes and climbing), and the second is shifting weight and momentum swings when mashing gears. I would like to try a back seat to get the child's line-of-sight higher. I think their view point from the trailer can be rather limiting (e.g., seeing the guard rails instead of what's just above/beyond the guard rail). --shoji On Tuesday, July 30, 2013 12:47:58 PM UTC-4, Peter Pesce wrote: I use a Yepp Mini front seat on my 60 Sam with Alba bars. I was surprised how little room - as in none - I have between the nose of the saddle and the back of the seat. I'm not slim, mind you, but I'm not that fat and I cannot fit between the saddle and seat to straddle the top tube. I had to drop my saddle way down so I can support the bike when we stop. Even given that challenge, I like the front seat for interaction, and it works fine for our short rides around the neighborhood. If you are thinking of more intensive trips it might be a good idea to teat a front seat first to see if you have fit issues. -Pete in CT On Tuesday, July 30, 2013 4:08:55 AM UTC-4, Michael Hechmer wrote: Somewhat OT, but a post to the Lifestyles list got only one response. My grandson is now old enough to ride behind his mom, and really loves it, so I am thinking about getting a seat and putting it on my Trek 620. Any advice about models and use would be much appreciated. Michael -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups RBW Owners Bunch group. To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to rbw-owners-bunch+unsubscr...@googlegroups.com. To post to this group, send email to rbw-owners-bunch@googlegroups.com. Visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/rbw-owners-bunch. For more options, visit https://groups.google.com/groups/opt_out.
Re: [RBW] Re: Child seat
I have a BoBike Mini+ front seat on the Bombadil and am going to start using a Yepp Maxi Easyfit on the rear as she is getting too big for the front seat. The Easyfit is nice because I can use the Tubus rack already on the bike with an adapter. Another adapter for the Betty Foy and my wife can take the seat with minimal trouble for the swap. The Bombadil was a decent fit for the front mount as it has a long top tube but I did change to a seat post with more setback to get a little more room. Used Albas and Bosco bars. Lots of good choices for seats. Usually you can find CoPilot seats used for a decent price with the Blackburn rack. Any way you go (front or rear seat) a double legged kickstand is a big help with loading. Dan -Marin On Tue, Jul 30, 2013 at 10:06 AM, Shoji Takahashi shoji.takaha...@gmail.com wrote: I have and use a Yepp Mini Front seat. My 3-yo son is just about at the weight limit, and my 1-yo daughter is now getting her turn at the h-bars. I ride the Yepp Mini on a 52cm Surly Cross Check with albatross bars (there's a special adapter for threadless stems) and Medium Breezer Uptown 8 (step through). I have room on my bikes for the Yepp-- the child seat is pretty much in my lap. I do have to splay my knees at the top of my pedal stroke in order to clear the bottom of the seat. I can be a little challenging at low speeds to steer (when one relies more on turning the bars than leaning the bike). I don't think the Yepp Mini would work well with drop bars (even with cross levers), and even flat bars would be difficult for me. I would recommend the front seat for fairly flat areas. It's a great way to socialize with a child while riding and pointing out the scenery. It also allows you to see what your child is doing (e.g., sleeping, pulling on his/her helmet b/c it's bothering them, etc.). I've also used it for dropping my son at daycare. I also have a Burley D'Lite trailer. It's convenient and spacious. For carrying two, it's my only way unless I get a cargo bike (but I'd rather get an AHH!). It's fine, but communicating with the children in the trailer is not easy. Although it doesn't affect the balance of the bike, there is a definite impact on handling. First is the weight (tough on brakes and climbing), and the second is shifting weight and momentum swings when mashing gears. I would like to try a back seat to get the child's line-of-sight higher. I think their view point from the trailer can be rather limiting (e.g., seeing the guard rails instead of what's just above/beyond the guard rail). --shoji On Tuesday, July 30, 2013 12:47:58 PM UTC-4, Peter Pesce wrote: I use a Yepp Mini front seat on my 60 Sam with Alba bars. I was surprised how little room - as in none - I have between the nose of the saddle and the back of the seat. I'm not slim, mind you, but I'm not that fat and I cannot fit between the saddle and seat to straddle the top tube. I had to drop my saddle way down so I can support the bike when we stop. Even given that challenge, I like the front seat for interaction, and it works fine for our short rides around the neighborhood. If you are thinking of more intensive trips it might be a good idea to teat a front seat first to see if you have fit issues. -Pete in CT On Tuesday, July 30, 2013 4:08:55 AM UTC-4, Michael Hechmer wrote: Somewhat OT, but a post to the Lifestyles list got only one response. My grandson is now old enough to ride behind his mom, and really loves it, so I am thinking about getting a seat and putting it on my Trek 620. Any advice about models and use would be much appreciated. Michael -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups RBW Owners Bunch group. To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to rbw-owners-bunch+unsubscr...@googlegroups.com. To post to this group, send email to rbw-owners-bunch@googlegroups.com. Visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/rbw-owners-bunch. For more options, visit https://groups.google.com/groups/opt_out. -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups RBW Owners Bunch group. To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to rbw-owners-bunch+unsubscr...@googlegroups.com. To post to this group, send email to rbw-owners-bunch@googlegroups.com. Visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/rbw-owners-bunch. For more options, visit https://groups.google.com/groups/opt_out.
[RBW] Re: Child seat
Michael, On Tuesday, July 30, 2013 1:08:55 AM UTC-7, Michael Hechmer wrote: Somewhat OT, but a post to the Lifestyles list got only one response. My grandson is now old enough to ride behind his mom, and really loves it, so I am thinking about getting a seat and putting it on my Trek 620. Any advice about models and use would be much appreciated. Michael, Personally, I would never put a child in a seat at top tube heights. In an accident they are defenseless and it's a long way to fall. I would imagine the child's head would take a terrible hit. I recommend a Burley trailer. Not as fun for the child but if the bike goes sideways the trailer stays upright. Just my humble opinion. Matt -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups RBW Owners Bunch group. To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to rbw-owners-bunch+unsubscr...@googlegroups.com. To post to this group, send email to rbw-owners-bunch@googlegroups.com. Visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/rbw-owners-bunch. For more options, visit https://groups.google.com/groups/opt_out.
[RBW] Re: Child seat recommendations?
Just an update - I bought the bobike. Took my daughter out on it today, and she loved it. She kept saying More, More! Thanks for all of the advice. -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups RBW Owners Bunch group. To post to this group, send email to rbw-owners-bu...@googlegroups.com. To unsubscribe from this group, send email to rbw-owners-bunch+unsubscr...@googlegroups.com. For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/rbw-owners-bunch?hl=en.
[RBW] Re: Child seat recommendations?
John, for the companion carrier, do you recommend a horizontal top tube, and a relatively high one at that? The bike I have now that I'd mount it on has a low, sloping top tube (http://www.flickr.com/photos/ 25150...@n08/4439614745/) but if I bought a new bike for a grocery/kid hauler, I'd like to know what works best for the companion carrier or similar seats. Cheers, Gernot On Mar 22, 3:57 am, John Speare johnspe...@gmail.com wrote: On Sun, Mar 21, 2010 at 9:30 AM, Glenn Ammons glenn.amm...@gmail.com wrote: On Fri, Mar 19, 2010 at 4:10 PM, Weird Harold alanpcr...@yahoo.com wrote: Any one tried the iBert? That's what we use. It's great having my daughter right up front (although recently she's into whacking her head into my chest and giggling maniacally) and I can pedal normally without my knees hitting the seat. Standing is more of a challenge but doable with a bit of cooperation from my daughter. Our (now 7 year old) daughter has been on just about every type of kid hauling except a trail-a-bike over the years. (We did try a trail a bike once and neither of us liked it). She started out in a Burley solo when she was just over a year or so. She never really liked it and by the time she was 2.5 years or so, she just flat out refused to ride in it. Which makes sense when you think about it: she's alone in a little cell and riding directly over the axel of the cart, which makes for a pretty jarring ride. Since she started so young, the novelity of being in a cart behind a bike never really hit her. In fact, she looked forward to taking rides in the car seat. When my daughter was about 3, my wife took her to Italy for a month to visit with family -- while there, they bought a segilino -- a front-mount seat:http://johndogfood.com/john/reduced/06-12-06%20051.jpg That was always my daughter's favorite solution. She loved it and so did my wife. Mainly because it was a much more active role: she can see where she's going, she can do hand signals, ring the bell, and chat with mom. The American versions of the same solution are unfortunately much less elegant and way over-built in my opinon. From there, we got a companion carrier -- which mounts directly to the top tube and therefore holds more weight. pics here --http://johndogfood.com/john/mb2.html We enjoyed trail riding and my daughter would still ride on this if I let her. But she's got to go under her own power now... ;unless we're tooling around locally to breakfast or something, then I'll give her a quick free ride on the front of my cargo truck:http://cyclingspokane.blogspot.com/2010/02/kid-haulin.html We tried a rear-mount seat but didn't like it at all. I found that having dynamic weight that high above the rear wheel behind me was distracting and my daughter wasn't crazy about staring at the back of my helmet. She rode on the deck of our xtracycle too -- for short trips, but she was never hugley crazy about that either. A friend of mine borrowed my xtracycle for a couple years and his kids loved riding on the deck -- so it may work for some kids. Hauling kids on the deck of a long bike is pretty effortless for tooling around. When my daughter was about 4 or 5, we got a Bike Friday tandem. That ruled. And we rode it for a couple years. We did bike camping on it, and we commuted to her preschool every day. Pics here:http://johndogfood.com/john/BF.html Now my daughter prefers to ride her own bike. The tandem was great but took up way too much room in our small garage for how infrequently we rode it. The net for me was that when she was young enough, the front-mount seat was great. It's a shame that smaller/less complicated/less turdy front-seat-solutions are so hard to find in the American market. In my opinion, the big honking plastic molded car-seat looking seats that are sold here are just overbuilt and too big for the task at hand. The companion carrier can be found with google searching and phone calling though. John Speare Spokane, WA USAhttp://cyclingspokane.blogspot.com/ -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups RBW Owners Bunch group. To post to this group, send email to rbw-owners-bu...@googlegroups.com. To unsubscribe from this group, send email to rbw-owners-bunch+unsubscr...@googlegroups.com. For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/rbw-owners-bunch?hl=en.
[RBW] Re: Child seat recommendations?
This is what I have for my 17 months old http://www.flickr.com/photos/boxdogbikes/4420617827/ works great, he gets to see more than a trailer for sure. On Mar 19, 7:38 am, Weird Harold alanpcr...@yahoo.com wrote: My daughter is 21 months, and I think it's time to get her up on a bike with me. Any recommendations for child bike seats? Front or Rear? -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups RBW Owners Bunch group. To post to this group, send email to rbw-owners-bu...@googlegroups.com. To unsubscribe from this group, send email to rbw-owners-bunch+unsubscr...@googlegroups.com. For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/rbw-owners-bunch?hl=en.
[RBW] Re: Child seat recommendations?
You've got lots of opinions here already, but I'll say that I really wasn't comfortable with the front child seat. It felt like it was going to get in the way of my steering and manouevering, but then my daughter got tall really fast. We used a CoPilot Limo rear seat for a couple of years and it worked quite well. I just had to remember not to try to swing my leg over the back of the bike to get off. I never did it with the kid on the bike, but did knock myself over once that way trying to get off with no kid on board. I did find that as my daughter's weight got up around 30lbs, that the child seat and child on top of a tall (64cm) Atlantis tended get rather top-heavy and unwieldy. We then graduated to a Chariot trailer. I started with the two seater, but it didn't fit through our door here in NYC so I downgraded to the one seater. This has worked quite well, though it's not cheap, kind of the Cadillac of trailers. It pulls easily, is very sturdy and comfortable. Some people have express concerns about trailers in traffic but I've found that with a bright colored kids trailer and lots of reflectors/flashers, cars are actually more respectful around me. I don't ride the busiest streets, but on side streets, they tend to pass with more room and the kid almost always get smiles and waves from drives when we stop at traffic lights. I've ridden her across town to school for the last two years in the trailer and it's worked well. I always figured that if a car tapped us on a bike we were all going down, but at least with the trailer, they're not going to fall hard on asphalt. We've got a trail-a-bike now, so far only for bike path use. I'm not in love with it at all, though. It works ok, but definitely affects the handling of my bike for the worse. I may try to graduate us to a Bike Friday tandem soon which apparently has a rear seat that can be adjusted from child to adult heights. Happy riding! Peter NYC On Mar 19, 9:38 am, Weird Harold alanpcr...@yahoo.com wrote: My daughter is 21 months, and I think it's time to get her up on a bike with me. Any recommendations for child bike seats? Front or Rear? -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups RBW Owners Bunch group. To post to this group, send email to rbw-owners-bu...@googlegroups.com. To unsubscribe from this group, send email to rbw-owners-bunch+unsubscr...@googlegroups.com. For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/rbw-owners-bunch?hl=en.
Re: [RBW] Re: Child seat recommendations?
On Sun, Mar 21, 2010 at 9:30 AM, Glenn Ammons glenn.amm...@gmail.com wrote: On Fri, Mar 19, 2010 at 4:10 PM, Weird Harold alanpcr...@yahoo.com wrote: Any one tried the iBert? That's what we use. It's great having my daughter right up front (although recently she's into whacking her head into my chest and giggling maniacally) and I can pedal normally without my knees hitting the seat. Standing is more of a challenge but doable with a bit of cooperation from my daughter. Our (now 7 year old) daughter has been on just about every type of kid hauling except a trail-a-bike over the years. (We did try a trail a bike once and neither of us liked it). She started out in a Burley solo when she was just over a year or so. She never really liked it and by the time she was 2.5 years or so, she just flat out refused to ride in it. Which makes sense when you think about it: she's alone in a little cell and riding directly over the axel of the cart, which makes for a pretty jarring ride. Since she started so young, the novelity of being in a cart behind a bike never really hit her. In fact, she looked forward to taking rides in the car seat. When my daughter was about 3, my wife took her to Italy for a month to visit with family -- while there, they bought a segilino -- a front-mount seat: http://johndogfood.com/john/reduced/06-12-06%20051.jpg That was always my daughter's favorite solution. She loved it and so did my wife. Mainly because it was a much more active role: she can see where she's going, she can do hand signals, ring the bell, and chat with mom. The American versions of the same solution are unfortunately much less elegant and way over-built in my opinon. From there, we got a companion carrier -- which mounts directly to the top tube and therefore holds more weight. pics here -- http://johndogfood.com/john/mb2.html We enjoyed trail riding and my daughter would still ride on this if I let her. But she's got to go under her own power now... ;unless we're tooling around locally to breakfast or something, then I'll give her a quick free ride on the front of my cargo truck: http://cyclingspokane.blogspot.com/2010/02/kid-haulin.html We tried a rear-mount seat but didn't like it at all. I found that having dynamic weight that high above the rear wheel behind me was distracting and my daughter wasn't crazy about staring at the back of my helmet. She rode on the deck of our xtracycle too -- for short trips, but she was never hugley crazy about that either. A friend of mine borrowed my xtracycle for a couple years and his kids loved riding on the deck -- so it may work for some kids. Hauling kids on the deck of a long bike is pretty effortless for tooling around. When my daughter was about 4 or 5, we got a Bike Friday tandem. That ruled. And we rode it for a couple years. We did bike camping on it, and we commuted to her preschool every day. Pics here: http://johndogfood.com/john/BF.html Now my daughter prefers to ride her own bike. The tandem was great but took up way too much room in our small garage for how infrequently we rode it. The net for me was that when she was young enough, the front-mount seat was great. It's a shame that smaller/less complicated/less turdy front-seat-solutions are so hard to find in the American market. In my opinion, the big honking plastic molded car-seat looking seats that are sold here are just overbuilt and too big for the task at hand. The companion carrier can be found with google searching and phone calling though. John Speare Spokane, WA USA http://cyclingspokane.blogspot.com/ -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups RBW Owners Bunch group. To post to this group, send email to rbw-owners-bu...@googlegroups.com. To unsubscribe from this group, send email to rbw-owners-bunch+unsubscr...@googlegroups.com. For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/rbw-owners-bunch?hl=en.
[RBW] Re: Child seat recommendations?
We have a Bobike Maxi on our Yuba and it works very well for our nearly 3 year old. I'd recommend it. I had a bamboo basket thing on the back for a while and I thought it was a steal at 3 bucks. My wife was riding behind me and she started screaming at me to stop because my daughter was standing up no hands in the thing. The ability to strap her down is a plus. We also have a Burley trailer. If I was riding in traffic I'd go with the child seat as it's not so obtrusive. If I was mountain biking (mellow stuff mind you) I'd put the kid in a trailer. I have rolled it with her in it (going slowly over a root!) and she was laughing. That wouldn't have happened if she was in a child seat. I think I'm coming off as a crazy parent herewell I love my kids and I think about their safety all the time. Bobike Maxi works very well. Kip On Mar 20, 1:09 am, stevep33 steve...@gmail.com wrote: Nice! That looks like fun. On Mar 19, 1:47 pm, Esteban proto...@gmail.com wrote: Plus, they see everything and you can talk... whispering into their ear and pointing out sights to be seen. With my daughter in the Bobike, our rides along the San Diego River are full of conversations of sea birds, the tides, the moon, salt marsh, fish, favorite colors, etc. Its truly wonderful. She's right there and can see everything and feel everything. Eventually, when our 7 month old is ready for the Mini, the 4 year old will go on the back, likely on a Bobike Jr. I'll miss her up there! I mean, does it get any better than this? http://www.flickr.com/photos/25671...@n02/395667/ -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups RBW Owners Bunch group. To post to this group, send email to rbw-owners-bu...@googlegroups.com. To unsubscribe from this group, send email to rbw-owners-bunch+unsubscr...@googlegroups.com. For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/rbw-owners-bunch?hl=en.
[RBW] Re: Child seat recommendations?
Bonike Mini on the front. Supposed to work until age 3, but my daughter is 4.4, rather small, and still fits fine. On Mar 19, 7:38 am, Weird Harold alanpcr...@yahoo.com wrote: My daughter is 21 months, and I think it's time to get her up on a bike with me. Any recommendations for child bike seats? Front or Rear? -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups RBW Owners Bunch group. To post to this group, send email to rbw-owners-bu...@googlegroups.com. To unsubscribe from this group, send email to rbw-owners-bunch+unsubscr...@googlegroups.com. For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/rbw-owners-bunch?hl=en.
[RBW] Re: Child seat recommendations?
How tall is the clamp area with the BoBike Mini? I have a bike with just a couple of spacers, and I wonder if that is enough room to attach the clamp. I hear the iBert safe-T-seat is good too, but I haven't tried it. Anyone else tried the iBert? On Mar 19, 10:48 am, Esteban proto...@gmail.com wrote: Bonike Mini on the front. Supposed to work until age 3, but my daughter is 4.4, rather small, and still fits fine. On Mar 19, 7:38 am, Weird Harold alanpcr...@yahoo.com wrote: My daughter is 21 months, and I think it's time to get her up on a bike with me. Any recommendations for child bike seats? Front or Rear? -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups RBW Owners Bunch group. To post to this group, send email to rbw-owners-bu...@googlegroups.com. To unsubscribe from this group, send email to rbw-owners-bunch+unsubscr...@googlegroups.com. For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/rbw-owners-bunch?hl=en.
[RBW] Re: Child seat recommendations?
I just read that the American Association of Pediatrics recommends trailers instead of bike seats. Any opinions on that? -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups RBW Owners Bunch group. To post to this group, send email to rbw-owners-bu...@googlegroups.com. To unsubscribe from this group, send email to rbw-owners-bunch+unsubscr...@googlegroups.com. For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/rbw-owners-bunch?hl=en.
[RBW] Re: Child seat recommendations?
I have used a Topeak child seat (rear) for several years on my Atlantis and other bikes. It is affordable, a nice design, and you can buy the rack separately if you want to be able to put the seat on multiple bikes. I believe in exposing my kids to a certain amount of risk, and I like being able to talk to my small passenger, so I don't listen to the advice of the AA of P. That said, I do use a Burley trailer, especially when hauling more than one kid. On Mar 19, 11:22 am, Weird Harold alanpcr...@yahoo.com wrote: I just read that the American Association of Pediatrics recommends trailers instead of bike seats. Any opinions on that? -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups RBW Owners Bunch group. To post to this group, send email to rbw-owners-bu...@googlegroups.com. To unsubscribe from this group, send email to rbw-owners-bunch+unsubscr...@googlegroups.com. For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/rbw-owners-bunch?hl=en.
[RBW] Re: Child seat recommendations?
I think that the US is completely out of synch with the rest of the world in terms of what is considered safe and what is not. The thinking that leads to the trailer recommendation is that the higher you mount your child to the bike, the harder they hit the ground when your bike goes down. Most trailers don't tip over at all when the bike falls, which is certainly nice. The things that have to be balanced against that feature is that trailers are much more expensive, much heavier, much harder to secure when parking, virtually impossible to incorporate with any public transportation. Possibly most importantly, your vehicle is now so massive that riding in traffic is terrifying for many, and it is easy to assume that the risk of being hit by a vehicle is increased. If you apply the same logic that Grant uses to rationalize not wearing a helmet, you will claim that riding with your small child on the bike makes you so much more careful that the remote chance of you going DOG (down on ground) is rendered infinitessimally small. If that risk is acceptable, then a smaller, cheaper option that gives you the ability to have your child right there with you, in your view, where you can talk to her, is likely to work fine. I used a Burley Solo trailer, partially because my wife was scared of falls, and we kept our kid rides to bike paths only. I have since converted that trailer to cargo, which is a cool conversion that is possible with a nice trailer. The other reason we did that was that all my bikes were lightweight go-fasts when my kids were small that didn't take kidseats well. On Mar 19, 9:22 am, Weird Harold alanpcr...@yahoo.com wrote: I just read that the American Association of Pediatrics recommends trailers instead of bike seats. Any opinions on that? -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups RBW Owners Bunch group. To post to this group, send email to rbw-owners-bu...@googlegroups.com. To unsubscribe from this group, send email to rbw-owners-bunch+unsubscr...@googlegroups.com. For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/rbw-owners-bunch?hl=en.
Re: [RBW] Re: Child seat recommendations?
Gotta say . . . One of my earliest memories--I must have been 3 or so--is my mom going down on her tenspeed with me on the rear-mounted child seat. None of us were wearing helmets, of course. I survived, but happened to fall in an ant pile. That sucked. Dustin From: William tapebu...@gmail.com Reply-To: rbw-owners-bunch@googlegroups.com Date: Fri, 19 Mar 2010 10:00:32 -0700 (PDT) To: RBW Owners Bunch rbw-owners-bunch@googlegroups.com Subject: [RBW] Re: Child seat recommendations? I think that the US is completely out of synch with the rest of the world in terms of what is considered safe and what is not. The thinking that leads to the trailer recommendation is that the higher you mount your child to the bike, the harder they hit the ground when your bike goes down. Most trailers don't tip over at all when the bike falls, which is certainly nice. The things that have to be balanced against that feature is that trailers are much more expensive, much heavier, much harder to secure when parking, virtually impossible to incorporate with any public transportation. Possibly most importantly, your vehicle is now so massive that riding in traffic is terrifying for many, and it is easy to assume that the risk of being hit by a vehicle is increased. If you apply the same logic that Grant uses to rationalize not wearing a helmet, you will claim that riding with your small child on the bike makes you so much more careful that the remote chance of you going DOG (down on ground) is rendered infinitessimally small. If that risk is acceptable, then a smaller, cheaper option that gives you the ability to have your child right there with you, in your view, where you can talk to her, is likely to work fine. I used a Burley Solo trailer, partially because my wife was scared of falls, and we kept our kid rides to bike paths only. I have since converted that trailer to cargo, which is a cool conversion that is possible with a nice trailer. The other reason we did that was that all my bikes were lightweight go-fasts when my kids were small that didn't take kidseats well. On Mar 19, 9:22 am, Weird Harold alanpcr...@yahoo.com wrote: I just read that the American Association of Pediatrics recommends trailers instead of bike seats. Any opinions on that? -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups RBW Owners Bunch group. To post to this group, send email to rbw-owners-bu...@googlegroups.com. To unsubscribe from this group, send email to rbw-owners-bunch+unsubscr...@googlegroups.com. For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/rbw-owners-bunch?hl=en. -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups RBW Owners Bunch group. To post to this group, send email to rbw-owners-bu...@googlegroups.com. To unsubscribe from this group, send email to rbw-owners-bunch+unsubscr...@googlegroups.com. For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/rbw-owners-bunch?hl=en.
[RBW] Re: Child seat recommendations?
Hey Harold, I've got a Hamax Siesta Recliner on a Surly Big Dummy. My son's 19 months and he's been riding around in it for a few months. He'll fall asleep in it (gentle rocking motion on quiet roads and smooth trails) and we recline it which supports his little head (we pop a soft hat on him too to give him a bit more cush). The seat doesn't interfere with load carrying on that bike which is great. Pricewise, it's fairly reasonable. A neat feature is that it's removable using the quick release on the bracket (which is mounted to the seat tube) - useful little indicators that tell you when it's locked in place. Hamax also sell spare brackets which makes using the seat on multiple bikes a synch. I've attached one of the big red triangles to the back of the seat for extra viz. Takes kids up to 22kg so he can use it for a while too. I've not affiliation with Hamax nor tried others but I'm very pleased with this one. On Mar 19, 5:08 pm, Dustin Sharp paleo.v...@gmail.com wrote: Gotta say . . . One of my earliest memories--I must have been 3 or so--is my mom going down on her tenspeed with me on the rear-mounted child seat. None of us were wearing helmets, of course. I survived, but happened to fall in an ant pile. That sucked. Dustin From: William tapebu...@gmail.com Reply-To: rbw-owners-bunch@googlegroups.com Date: Fri, 19 Mar 2010 10:00:32 -0700 (PDT) To: RBW Owners Bunch rbw-owners-bunch@googlegroups.com Subject: [RBW] Re: Child seat recommendations? I think that the US is completely out of synch with the rest of the world in terms of what is considered safe and what is not. The thinking that leads to the trailer recommendation is that the higher you mount your child to the bike, the harder they hit the ground when your bike goes down. Most trailers don't tip over at all when the bike falls, which is certainly nice. The things that have to be balanced against that feature is that trailers are much more expensive, much heavier, much harder to secure when parking, virtually impossible to incorporate with any public transportation. Possibly most importantly, your vehicle is now so massive that riding in traffic is terrifying for many, and it is easy to assume that the risk of being hit by a vehicle is increased. If you apply the same logic that Grant uses to rationalize not wearing a helmet, you will claim that riding with your small child on the bike makes you so much more careful that the remote chance of you going DOG (down on ground) is rendered infinitessimally small. If that risk is acceptable, then a smaller, cheaper option that gives you the ability to have your child right there with you, in your view, where you can talk to her, is likely to work fine. I used a Burley Solo trailer, partially because my wife was scared of falls, and we kept our kid rides to bike paths only. I have since converted that trailer to cargo, which is a cool conversion that is possible with a nice trailer. The other reason we did that was that all my bikes were lightweight go-fasts when my kids were small that didn't take kidseats well. On Mar 19, 9:22 am, Weird Harold alanpcr...@yahoo.com wrote: I just read that the American Association of Pediatrics recommends trailers instead of bike seats. Any opinions on that? -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups RBW Owners Bunch group. To post to this group, send email to rbw-owners-bu...@googlegroups.com. To unsubscribe from this group, send email to rbw-owners-bunch+unsubscr...@googlegroups.com. For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/rbw-owners-bunch?hl=en.- Hide quoted text - - Show quoted text - -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups RBW Owners Bunch group. To post to this group, send email to rbw-owners-bu...@googlegroups.com. To unsubscribe from this group, send email to rbw-owners-bunch+unsubscr...@googlegroups.com. For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/rbw-owners-bunch?hl=en.
[RBW] Re: Child seat recommendations?
With the little ones, the front seat's got 'em right there if, somehow, anything bad happens. Our rides sometimes include some city riding, and I'm not cool with a trailer while out in traffic. Of course, care is taken in choosing routes that have little or no traffic. But sometimes, you gotta cross that road. I'd rather have the kids on the bike... Plus, they see everything and you can talk... whispering into their ear and pointing out sights to be seen. With my daughter in the Bobike, our rides along the San Diego River are full of conversations of sea birds, the tides, the moon, salt marsh, fish, favorite colors, etc. Its truly wonderful. She's right there and can see everything and feel everything. Eventually, when our 7 month old is ready for the Mini, the 4 year old will go on the back, likely on a Bobike Jr. I'll miss her up there! I mean, does it get any better than this? http://www.flickr.com/photos/25671...@n02/395667/ The Bobike Mini threadless mount probably takes the space used by 20mm of spacers. They have a threaded mount too that will work on most Rivendells. I have friends with both the Topeak seat and the green one and they like them very much as well. I've seen a little sidecar around the internets. That might be cool! Just avoid ant hills. Especially the big, red, nasty ants. Esteban San Diego, Calif. On Mar 19, 10:08 am, Dustin Sharp paleo.v...@gmail.com wrote: Gotta say . . . One of my earliest memories--I must have been 3 or so--is my mom going down on her tenspeed with me on the rear-mounted child seat. None of us were wearing helmets, of course. I survived, but happened to fall in an ant pile. That sucked. Dustin From: William tapebu...@gmail.com Reply-To: rbw-owners-bunch@googlegroups.com Date: Fri, 19 Mar 2010 10:00:32 -0700 (PDT) To: RBW Owners Bunch rbw-owners-bunch@googlegroups.com Subject: [RBW] Re: Child seat recommendations? I think that the US is completely out of synch with the rest of the world in terms of what is considered safe and what is not. The thinking that leads to the trailer recommendation is that the higher you mount your child to the bike, the harder they hit the ground when your bike goes down. Most trailers don't tip over at all when the bike falls, which is certainly nice. The things that have to be balanced against that feature is that trailers are much more expensive, much heavier, much harder to secure when parking, virtually impossible to incorporate with any public transportation. Possibly most importantly, your vehicle is now so massive that riding in traffic is terrifying for many, and it is easy to assume that the risk of being hit by a vehicle is increased. If you apply the same logic that Grant uses to rationalize not wearing a helmet, you will claim that riding with your small child on the bike makes you so much more careful that the remote chance of you going DOG (down on ground) is rendered infinitessimally small. If that risk is acceptable, then a smaller, cheaper option that gives you the ability to have your child right there with you, in your view, where you can talk to her, is likely to work fine. I used a Burley Solo trailer, partially because my wife was scared of falls, and we kept our kid rides to bike paths only. I have since converted that trailer to cargo, which is a cool conversion that is possible with a nice trailer. The other reason we did that was that all my bikes were lightweight go-fasts when my kids were small that didn't take kidseats well. On Mar 19, 9:22 am, Weird Harold alanpcr...@yahoo.com wrote: I just read that the American Association of Pediatrics recommends trailers instead of bike seats. Any opinions on that? -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups RBW Owners Bunch group. To post to this group, send email to rbw-owners-bu...@googlegroups.com. To unsubscribe from this group, send email to rbw-owners-bunch+unsubscr...@googlegroups.com. For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/rbw-owners-bunch?hl=en. -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups RBW Owners Bunch group. To post to this group, send email to rbw-owners-bu...@googlegroups.com. To unsubscribe from this group, send email to rbw-owners-bunch+unsubscr...@googlegroups.com. For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/rbw-owners-bunch?hl=en.
[RBW] Re: Child seat recommendations?
The AAoP provides generally helpful guidelines, but there are many exceptions where good parental judgment is appropriate. Every family is different. The AAoP recommendation does seem to stem from the risk of the rider losing control of the bike and tipping. I bet most people here are fairly confident in their bike handling abilities in tricky situations, so maybe that concern carries less weight with this crowd. I don't know. Having been hit by a car from behind, I find all the more reason to avoid a trailer. I'd rather have my daughter on the bike with me in a seat, out of traffic and with only two wheels to think about in an emergency situation. That said, you have to go with whatever you are comfortable with. On Mar 19, 12:22 pm, Weird Harold alanpcr...@yahoo.com wrote: I just read that the American Association of Pediatrics recommends trailers instead of bike seats. Any opinions on that? -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups RBW Owners Bunch group. To post to this group, send email to rbw-owners-bu...@googlegroups.com. To unsubscribe from this group, send email to rbw-owners-bunch+unsubscr...@googlegroups.com. For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/rbw-owners-bunch?hl=en.
[RBW] Re: Child seat recommendations?
Nice! That looks like fun. On Mar 19, 1:47 pm, Esteban proto...@gmail.com wrote: Plus, they see everything and you can talk... whispering into their ear and pointing out sights to be seen. With my daughter in the Bobike, our rides along the San Diego River are full of conversations of sea birds, the tides, the moon, salt marsh, fish, favorite colors, etc. Its truly wonderful. She's right there and can see everything and feel everything. Eventually, when our 7 month old is ready for the Mini, the 4 year old will go on the back, likely on a Bobike Jr. I'll miss her up there! I mean, does it get any better than this? http://www.flickr.com/photos/25671...@n02/395667/ -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups RBW Owners Bunch group. To post to this group, send email to rbw-owners-bu...@googlegroups.com. To unsubscribe from this group, send email to rbw-owners-bunch+unsubscr...@googlegroups.com. For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/rbw-owners-bunch?hl=en.
Re: [RBW] Re: Child seat recommendations?
I was given a BoBike mini (minus the mount, that went with my brother in law's bike which was, erm, borrowed without permission) but have a threadless stem on my Big Dummy. Anyone have a line on where to get a threadless adapter? For hauling kids, I've used both a trailer and an Xtracycle. If you just want to try it out, trailers are widely available, have an active secondary market (for Burley and Chariot brands, anyway) and can hook up to a variety of bikes. Easiest way to add carrying 2 kids to your bike. That said, I vastly prefer the Xtracycle due to maneuverability. Even with two big kids on the back, it's still easier to maneuver and feels more stable than the trailer. I've also had kids on the back of the Xtracycle and kids in a trailer (hey, I hauled as many kids as our minivan fits one day!), which is definitely different. You're not going anywhere fast that way. When hauling kids around, you find yourself far more aware of traffic and the environment around you, just as Grant mentioned (and as I can confirm) when riding without a helmet. You ride more cautiously and are far pickier about your routes. I would wager that the AAoP recommendations are aimed towards the general public, most of whom ride a bicycle a few times a year around the park or on a bike trail. The target audience is likely not biking thousands of miles each year in a variety of conditions as many of us do. The easiest way to survive an accident is to not be involved in one in the first place. The best way to not be involved in a bicycle accident is knowing how to handle your bike, how to recover from bad situations and be aware of your surroundings to avoid bad situations. I bet that all of us on this list know how to handle our bicycles, recover (and can remember a few times when we couldn't or didn't recover and have learned from them), and can know what to avoid. As such, pick the kid hauling method that lets you ride your bike like a bike. --dlloyd -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups RBW Owners Bunch group. To post to this group, send email to rbw-owners-bu...@googlegroups.com. To unsubscribe from this group, send email to rbw-owners-bunch+unsubscr...@googlegroups.com. For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/rbw-owners-bunch?hl=en.
Re: [RBW] Re: Child seat recommendations?
On Fri, Mar 19, 2010 at 2:24 PM, Dave Lloyd d...@davelloyd.com wrote: I was given a BoBike mini (minus the mount, that went with my brother in law's bike which was, erm, borrowed without permission) but have a threadless stem on my Big Dummy. Anyone have a line on where to get a threadless adapter? Pretty sure Anthony King at Long Leaf Bicycles can help: http://www.longleafbicycles.com/products/cycling-with-children/bobike-child-seats/ -sv -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups RBW Owners Bunch group. To post to this group, send email to rbw-owners-bu...@googlegroups.com. To unsubscribe from this group, send email to rbw-owners-bunch+unsubscr...@googlegroups.com. For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/rbw-owners-bunch?hl=en.
Re: [RBW] Re: Child seat recommendations?
Harold, I can ditto most of what Esteban says - we've enjoyed riding with our Bobike mini now for about 2.5 years. Was lucky to score an actual, recent Dutch bike (albeit of the Euro big-box store varietal) that someone had brought over in a move. Included, and the primary draw, were both front and rear Bobike seats - they are (seemingly) well-made and sturdy/safe. My daughter was first aboard, shortly after she turned 1. Now her brother uses it, starting also at about the same age. Unfortunately it seems as though I did not get the mini-childs, as they are both are the giants among than their peers. So, even though my little guy is only a little past 1 1/2 now, he's almost talling-out of the Bobike mini (my daughter on the other hand has been quickly learning the trail-a-bike starting about 3). And now we have us the school bike, as she calls it: http://www.flickr.com/photos/66275...@n00/4446170054 OTOH, for just a short while, I had her on the back in the Bobike Maxi (much like a regular rear seat except it does not require a rack) - my daughter's review was it was too bouncy and she was less of a fan. Re: bars/stem, yes the Bobike needs something with a bit more height than a road stem. I'm using a bit of a riser with the 'stache bars, these also fit rather well with the knees of my passengers and give me good, strong control over the vehicle. I believe too that the Trek is a low-trail beast, which seems to also ride well with the loaded steering. =- Joe Bunik Walnut Creek, CA On 3/19/10, Esteban proto...@gmail.com wrote: With the little ones, the front seat's got 'em right there if, somehow, anything bad happens. Our rides sometimes include some city riding, and I'm not cool with a trailer while out in traffic. Of course, care is taken in choosing routes that have little or no traffic. But sometimes, you gotta cross that road. I'd rather have the kids on the bike... Plus, they see everything and you can talk... whispering into their ear and pointing out sights to be seen. With my daughter in the Bobike, our rides along the San Diego River are full of conversations of sea birds, the tides, the moon, salt marsh, fish, favorite colors, etc. Its truly wonderful. She's right there and can see everything and feel everything. Eventually, when our 7 month old is ready for the Mini, the 4 year old will go on the back, likely on a Bobike Jr. I'll miss her up there! I mean, does it get any better than this? http://www.flickr.com/photos/25671...@n02/395667/ The Bobike Mini threadless mount probably takes the space used by 20mm of spacers. They have a threaded mount too that will work on most Rivendells. I have friends with both the Topeak seat and the green one and they like them very much as well. I've seen a little sidecar around the internets. That might be cool! Just avoid ant hills. Especially the big, red, nasty ants. Esteban San Diego, Calif. On Mar 19, 10:08 am, Dustin Sharp paleo.v...@gmail.com wrote: Gotta say . . . One of my earliest memories--I must have been 3 or so--is my mom going down on her tenspeed with me on the rear-mounted child seat. None of us were wearing helmets, of course. I survived, but happened to fall in an ant pile. That sucked. Dustin From: William tapebu...@gmail.com Reply-To: rbw-owners-bunch@googlegroups.com Date: Fri, 19 Mar 2010 10:00:32 -0700 (PDT) To: RBW Owners Bunch rbw-owners-bunch@googlegroups.com Subject: [RBW] Re: Child seat recommendations? I think that the US is completely out of synch with the rest of the world in terms of what is considered safe and what is not. The thinking that leads to the trailer recommendation is that the higher you mount your child to the bike, the harder they hit the ground when your bike goes down. Most trailers don't tip over at all when the bike falls, which is certainly nice. The things that have to be balanced against that feature is that trailers are much more expensive, much heavier, much harder to secure when parking, virtually impossible to incorporate with any public transportation. Possibly most importantly, your vehicle is now so massive that riding in traffic is terrifying for many, and it is easy to assume that the risk of being hit by a vehicle is increased. If you apply the same logic that Grant uses to rationalize not wearing a helmet, you will claim that riding with your small child on the bike makes you so much more careful that the remote chance of you going DOG (down on ground) is rendered infinitessimally small. If that risk is acceptable, then a smaller, cheaper option that gives you the ability to have your child right there with you, in your view, where you can talk to her, is likely to work fine. I used a Burley Solo trailer, partially because my wife was scared of falls, and we kept our kid rides to bike paths only. I have since converted that trailer to cargo, which is a cool conversion
Re: [RBW] Re: Child seat recommendations?
I have used a Burley Trailer. The Burley makes me nervous in traffic and it is a decent amount wider than the bike. Like others have said I am far more careful in choosing routes on the Burley and will often stick to paths. I have a newer two-seat Burley trailer and when riding with a decent headwind it is like pulling a boat anchor. My almost 3 year-old son likes the trailer and it is easy to all of the stuff you need to carry in addition to the kids. The on bike seats look like nice and probably eaiser to ride with but going back to the perception of safety I don't think that I would ever get spousal approval for them. My son is also over the weight limit for the Bobbike mini. One question I have is what age do people what until before putting their kids on a bike/in a trailer? I have heard recommendations of a year. With my son I waited until he was about 11 months. I have a 5 month old as well and will likely wait until she is close to year. Dan Abelson St. Paul, MN On Fri, Mar 19, 2010 at 1:56 PM, Joe Bunik jbu...@gmail.com wrote: Harold, I can ditto most of what Esteban says - we've enjoyed riding with our Bobike mini now for about 2.5 years. Was lucky to score an actual, recent Dutch bike (albeit of the Euro big-box store varietal) that someone had brought over in a move. Included, and the primary draw, were both front and rear Bobike seats - they are (seemingly) well-made and sturdy/safe. My daughter was first aboard, shortly after she turned 1. Now her brother uses it, starting also at about the same age. Unfortunately it seems as though I did not get the mini-childs, as they are both are the giants among than their peers. So, even though my little guy is only a little past 1 1/2 now, he's almost talling-out of the Bobike mini (my daughter on the other hand has been quickly learning the trail-a-bike starting about 3). And now we have us the school bike, as she calls it: http://www.flickr.com/photos/66275...@n00/4446170054 OTOH, for just a short while, I had her on the back in the Bobike Maxi (much like a regular rear seat except it does not require a rack) - my daughter's review was it was too bouncy and she was less of a fan. Re: bars/stem, yes the Bobike needs something with a bit more height than a road stem. I'm using a bit of a riser with the 'stache bars, these also fit rather well with the knees of my passengers and give me good, strong control over the vehicle. I believe too that the Trek is a low-trail beast, which seems to also ride well with the loaded steering. =- Joe Bunik Walnut Creek, CA On 3/19/10, Esteban proto...@gmail.com wrote: With the little ones, the front seat's got 'em right there if, somehow, anything bad happens. Our rides sometimes include some city riding, and I'm not cool with a trailer while out in traffic. Of course, care is taken in choosing routes that have little or no traffic. But sometimes, you gotta cross that road. I'd rather have the kids on the bike... Plus, they see everything and you can talk... whispering into their ear and pointing out sights to be seen. With my daughter in the Bobike, our rides along the San Diego River are full of conversations of sea birds, the tides, the moon, salt marsh, fish, favorite colors, etc. Its truly wonderful. She's right there and can see everything and feel everything. Eventually, when our 7 month old is ready for the Mini, the 4 year old will go on the back, likely on a Bobike Jr. I'll miss her up there! I mean, does it get any better than this? http://www.flickr.com/photos/25671...@n02/395667/ The Bobike Mini threadless mount probably takes the space used by 20mm of spacers. They have a threaded mount too that will work on most Rivendells. I have friends with both the Topeak seat and the green one and they like them very much as well. I've seen a little sidecar around the internets. That might be cool! Just avoid ant hills. Especially the big, red, nasty ants. Esteban San Diego, Calif. On Mar 19, 10:08 am, Dustin Sharp paleo.v...@gmail.com wrote: Gotta say . . . One of my earliest memories--I must have been 3 or so--is my mom going down on her tenspeed with me on the rear-mounted child seat. None of us were wearing helmets, of course. I survived, but happened to fall in an ant pile. That sucked. Dustin From: William tapebu...@gmail.com Reply-To: rbw-owners-bunch@googlegroups.com Date: Fri, 19 Mar 2010 10:00:32 -0700 (PDT) To: RBW Owners Bunch rbw-owners-bunch@googlegroups.com Subject: [RBW] Re: Child seat recommendations? I think that the US is completely out of synch with the rest of the world in terms of what is considered safe and what is not. The thinking that leads to the trailer recommendation is that the higher you mount your child to the bike, the harder they hit the ground when your bike goes down. Most trailers don't tip over
[RBW] Re: Child seat recommendations?
Any one tried the iBert? -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups RBW Owners Bunch group. To post to this group, send email to rbw-owners-bu...@googlegroups.com. To unsubscribe from this group, send email to rbw-owners-bunch+unsubscr...@googlegroups.com. For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/rbw-owners-bunch?hl=en.
[RBW] Re: Child seat recommendations?
Bobike mini for sure. I'm really pleased to see the recommendations for it. I loved ours, and my son used it till he was about 40 lbs. Love that thing. It was set up on my wife's mixte with 650A wheels, which was perfect. It absolutely did not work with my 63cm low trail Ross fixed gear - I couldn't even get going, let alone ride. Bad combo. Philip On Mar 19, 7:48 am, Esteban proto...@gmail.com wrote: Bonike Mini on the front. Supposed to work until age 3, but my daughter is 4.4, rather small, and still fits fine. On Mar 19, 7:38 am, Weird Harold alanpcr...@yahoo.com wrote: My daughter is 21 months, and I think it's time to get her up on a bike with me. Any recommendations for child bike seats? Front or Rear? -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups RBW Owners Bunch group. To post to this group, send email to rbw-owners-bu...@googlegroups.com. To unsubscribe from this group, send email to rbw-owners-bunch+unsubscr...@googlegroups.com. For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/rbw-owners-bunch?hl=en.
Re: [RBW] Re: Child seat recommendations?
On 3/19/10, Dan Abelson d...@abelsons.net wrote: My almost 3 year-old son likes the trailer and it is easy to all of the stuff you need to carry in addition to the kids. The on bike seats look like nice and probably eaiser to ride with but going back to the perception of safety I don't think that I would ever get spousal approval for them. My son is also over the weight limit for the Bobbike mini. My spouse (quite fortunately) uncovered a preponderance of favorable reviews/reports about the Bobikes and so ultimately fully approved. Our kids are also unanimously in favor, given their squeals of delight whenever we are getting ready to go. Also, from the captain's perspective, bear in mind that upright or swept back bars (as seen in Esteban's photo and perhaps even more so with my m-bars) triangulate the kid within the adult's arms/body. That said, I have wondered what instincts would kick in if we were going down... If anything the weight and size limitations of the Mini are probably its biggest disadvantages, considering that neither of our kids have stayed small for long. Hopefully, each will have one sweet summer out of it. One question I have is what age do people what until before putting their kids on a bike/in a trailer? I have heard recommendations of a year. With my son I waited until he was about 11 months. I have a 5 month old as well and will likely wait until she is close to year. My kids were pretty active by their first birthday. You'll likely be able to tell when yours are ready, either by expressed interest or their own skill level in other activities. And let me put in a tangential plug for the Kettler Sprint scoot bikes (and thank iBOB Alan Ferrency, who first lent us his daughter's). I would say getting my kids into the Bobike mini directly correlated with their own comfort gains on their own two feet (or, not - balancing is a good thing!). Which made it much easier to convey the dynamics of Mom and Dad-sized bikes in addition to establishing rules for getting on and off (i.e.: please don't push the bikes over / especially with baby in the Mini!). I keep considering a Plescher or other 2-leg kickstand, but our 3-passenger bus is totally manageable by one parent (as long as the team is cooperating). So far I've been totally pleased with our setup but not sure yet what to do once my son is out of the Mini. I've been very happy not towing a trailer with kids snoozing in it, somewhere out of sight! =- Joe Bunik Walnut Creek, CA -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups RBW Owners Bunch group. To post to this group, send email to rbw-owners-bu...@googlegroups.com. To unsubscribe from this group, send email to rbw-owners-bunch+unsubscr...@googlegroups.com. For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/rbw-owners-bunch?hl=en.
